Psychological approaches to obesity in young adults: state of the art.

Background: Obesity has become a significant health concern among young adults aged 18-35 years. Addressing this issue is crucial, and exploring psychological treatments and perspectives specifically for this population is essential. Methods: This literature review examines psychological treatments for obesity in young adults over the past decade. It focuses on interventions and discussions particularly relevant to this age group. Discussion: Research on obesity often overlooks young adults, with most interventions primarily focusing on weight loss and neglecting emotional aspects. Cognitive-behavioral approaches are commonly used for self-regulation and motivation, but psychodynamic perspectives remain underutilized. While group-based methods lack a detailed analysis of benefits, hybrid approaches demonstrate higher engagement compared to technology-only interventions. There is a notable gap in tailoring obesity interventions to meet the unique needs of young adults during this transitional life phase. It's imperative to shift the focus from merely weight loss to a broader consideration of psychological, emotional, and unconscious factors. Integrating group modalities with psychodynamic approaches might offer additional benefits. Conclusion: This review highlights the need for further research into the psychological well-being of young adults with obesity. A more comprehensive approach is required to address their distinct needs and psychological factors.

A Novel Scale to Assess Psychological Strategies in Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians.

PURPOSE: This report describes the development and validation of the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Combat Mindset Scale-Training (CMS-T), a population-specific measure of psychological strategy use in EOD training environments. METHODS: Scale items were developed by a working group composed of active-duty technicians from EOD Training and Evaluation Unit 1, Naval Health Research Center scientists, and a psychometrician. The working group developed 30 candidate items, which were administered to EOD accessions (new recruits), advanced students, and technicians (N = 164). Factor structure was explored with principal axis factoring and Varimax rotation with Kaiser normalization. Internal consistencies were established via Cronbach alpha, and convergent validity was evaluated with correlational and ANOVA models. RESULTS: Five internally stable subscales were derived from 19 essential items, explaining 65% of total variance. The subscales were named relaxation, attentional-emotional control (AEC), goal setting-visualization (GSV), internal dialogue (ID), and automaticity. The most frequently used strategies were GSV and ID. Expected relationships emerged between strategies, most notably AEC and mental health. The scale also differentiated between subgroups. CONCLUSION: The EOD CMS-T demonstrates a stable factor structure, internal reliability, and convergent validity. This study yields a valid, practical, and easily administered instrument to support EOD training and evaluation.

Estrategias de intervención psicológica de acuerdo a las condiciones clínicas y las variables biopsicosociales del adolescente en la consulta odontológica: Revisión de la literatura / Psychological Intervention Strategies According to the Clinical Conditions and the Biopsychosocial Variables of the Adolescent in the Dental Practice: Review of the Literature

RESUMEN Epidemiológicamente, los adolescentes conforman un subgrupo poblacional con indicadores bucodentales que ameritan atención en el ámbito de la salud pública. Asimismo, la mayoría de las facultades de odontología orientan la enseñanza odontológica dirigida al niño y al adulto, donde la atención enfocada al adolescente se suele diferir. Además, el desconocimiento en las alteraciones biopsicosociales y las particularidades clínicas inherentes a la adolescencia, hacen la atención de estos pacientes potencialmente compleja. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este artículo es realizar una revisión de la literatura con el fin de ofrecerle al profesional las herramientas o recursos psicológicos (habilidades blandas) para el abordaje de la población adolescente que asiste a la consulta odontológica. Actualmente, la "Odontohebiatría" describe la atención integral e interdisciplinaria de la salud bucodental de los adolescentes, con énfasis en la prevención y la estética bucodental. De esta forma, la odontología moderna demanda una participación activa del profesional, el cual debe estar familiarizado con las afecciones clínicas y las variables psicológicas que puedan afectar al adolescente; asimismo, también se considera importante la instrucción y el adiestramiento en estrategias de intervención psicológica para ofrecer una atención adaptada a este grupo etario.

ABSTRACT Epidemiologically, the teenagers make up a population subgroup with oral indicators that need attention in the field of public health. In addition, the majority of the dental faculties orient the dental education directed to the child and the adult, where the attention focused to the teen is usually deferred. Moreover, the ignorance in the biopsychosocial alterations and the clinical peculiarities inherent to adolescence, make the attention of these potentially complex patients. Therefore, the objective of this article is to carry out a review of the literature in order to offer the professional the tools or psychological resources (soft skills) for the approach of the adolescent population that attends the dental consultation. Currently, the "Odontohebiatría" describes the comprehensive and interdisciplinary care of adolescent oral health, with an emphasis on oral prevention and esthetics. In this way, modern dentistry demands an active participation of the professional, who must be familiar with the clinical conditions and the psychological variables that may affect the teenager; also, it is considered important the instruction and training in strategies of psychological intervention to offer an attention adapted to this age group.

Determinants of the Intention to Use Performance-Enhancing Substances Among Portuguese Gym Users.

The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of the intentions to use prohibited performance-enhancing substances (PES) and to test the Theory of Planned Behavior's usefulness in predicting self-reported PES use in both genders. A convenience sample of Portuguese gym users (n = 453) completed an anonymous web-based survey. Structural equation modeling, multigroup analysis, and t-test with the Welch correction for heterokedastic variances were used. At the structural level, results support attitudes, beliefs, and subjective norms in predicting intentions to PES use in gym users, with subjective norms being its strongest predictor. Moreover, results showed a significant association between self-reported PES use and intentions to use. The predictive model was invariant across genders; however, compared to males, females believed less in the performance-enhancing effects of PES, were less prone to the influence of significant others, and had weaker intentions to use these substances. Psychological strategies should be based on subjective norms, alongside beliefs and attitudes, toward PES use as these variables influence the intention to use PES in this particular population.

Mental Strategies Predict Performance and Satisfaction with Performance among Soccer Players.

This study investigated the changes in mental strategies across the season and their effects on performance and satisfaction with individual performance. Data were collected three times: at the pre-season at Time 1 (T1; baseline), in the mid-season at Time 2 (T2; two-month follow-up), and at the end-of-season at Time 3 (T3; nine-month follow-up) among male soccer players (N = 97) aged 16-27. Athletes completed the questionnaires assessing the use of nine psychological strategies in competition and the level of satisfaction with individual performance. Endurance performance was measured objectively with a 300 m run. A high level of relaxation (T1) explained better 300 m run performance (T3) and a high level of self-talk explained a higher satisfaction with individual performance (T3). A rare use of distractibility and emotional control (T1) predicted a higher level of satisfaction with individual performance (T3). No predictive role of other psychological strategies was found. The use of emotional control, relaxation, and distractibility increased over the season, whereas the use of imagery and negative thinking declined. Besides the roles of self-talk, imagery, relaxation and goal-setting, the effects of distractibility and emotional control should be taken into account when considering athletes' mental training programs.